"The Carlsbad potash area, in southeastern New Mexico, lies in a region of limited rainfall, no perennial streams, and ground water high in dissolved solids. Availability of fresh water for agricultural, industrial, and domestic use is of major importance in determining the uses of land. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for the administration of 80 percent of the 969,875 acres involved. In 1974, the BLM suspended action on potash leases and prospecting applications pending the preparation of an Environmental Analysis Record (EAR) ... After completion of the EAR, however, questions remained about the effect of the brine disposal by the potash industry on the limited quantities of fresh water in the area"--Page 1.